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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798953">Riku Redhood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendcatnipmadam/pseuds/sendcatnipmadam'>sendcatnipmadam</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts Re:Tellings [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Gore, Gothic, Multi, Mythical Beings &amp; Creatures</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:27:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,082</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798953</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendcatnipmadam/pseuds/sendcatnipmadam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In this retelling of the classic Red Riding Hood, Riku ventures out to find a cure for his sick friend Kairi, and along the way he encounters a mysterious man in the shadows, claiming to help him. With no other leads, Riku plants his trust into him, dead set on saving the girl that he cares for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ansem Seeker of Darkness | Xehanort's Heartless &amp; Riku, Kairi/Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts Re:Tellings [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954408</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Riku Redhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Entry for the Sorikai Fairytale Event<br/>Prompt: Gothic<br/></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few days ago, Kairi was as healthy and lively as a springtime flower. A few days ago, she was still laughing and teasing and challenging the boys to races like she always did. A few days ago she was so full of energy and wonder, with no hint of illness or even symptoms of that matter. A few days ago Riku wasn't lying in bed at night, unable to sleep because of that dreadful memory replaying itself again and again. </p>
<p>It was just another race, the same as all the other ones. Riku was in the lead, Sora a close second, and Kairi trailing behind. Once he had reached the finish line, he turned around to greet Sora and declare the latest score, only for the taunt to catch in his throat once his friend was out of view. Only a few feet away was Kairi, face down and motionless in the sand. No matter how much they called her name and shook her body, her eyes remained closed and her skin felt warm to the touch. Even though it was only a few minutes, it felt like several days had passed as they carried her back to her house. </p>
<p>"It's just a fever," the doctor had said. "Nothing that some medicine and a few days of rest can't fix."</p>
<p>And so they waited a few days. </p>
<p>And waited. </p>
<p>And waited some more. </p>
<p>But...she didn't get any better. As Kairi's fever had worsened, Sora and Riku made it their top priority to check in on her, clamoring to assist in any way. Bringing food and water, providing blankets, or even just sitting by her side and keeping her company. Anything that could be used as an excuse for the adults to not kick them out and quarantine them from their childhood friend.  </p>
<p>Riku watched Sora gently grasp Kairi's hand and tell her about their school's team winning the Blitzball game, all while keeping that earnest, comforting smile on his sun-kissed face. In contrast to Kairi, whose fair face became more pallid and clammy. Despite how weak she looked, her eyes were fully opened and fixated on Sora as he told his story. The exciting energy he gave with every word was so Sora, and it gave off an aura of a normal, everyday conversation. Riku envied how Sora was able to counter such a melancholy atmosphere that was this house with his usual optimism, meanwhile he himself couldn't even fake a smile. Just the very sight of Kairi in this state made his stomach tie itself into knots. The sound of her ragged breath and the sagging clothes evident of her weight loss built a lump in his throat. He found himself averting his eyes from the bed, silently begging for relief, only to receive disgust at himself.  </p>
<p><em>Pathetic</em><em>, </em>sneered a voice in his head. <em>So much for being the mature one. </em></p>
<p>The guilt forced Riku to agree. His whole life he played the role as the stoic big brother of the trio, yet here he was, being half the man that Sora currently was. It was a good thing he'd mastered the art of poker face so that no one, not even Sora, could notice his inner anguish. The last thing he wanted was to be seen as more pitiful than the sick girl in the room. Even when the doctor kept insisting that Kairi would eventually get better due to her fighting spirit, reassurance could only do so much before it all became vapid white noise. But Riku simply nodded, knowing that all he could do is bottle up his emotions for a little longer and cling onto desperate hope. </p>
<p>It didn't even feel long before the boys were gently coerced into leaving, and they opened the door to a blood orange sky instead of an afternoon blue. By the time they had reached their homes, the sun had already hid itself behind the trees of Midnight Forest. Riku silently listened to Sora brainstorm tomorrow's plans out loud, all while doing his trademark walking position of holding his hands behind his head. Ever since Kairi had fallen ill, Riku couldn't see even a hint of disturbance in his usual demeanor. It bothered him how he was seemingly taking this entire situation...quite well. </p>
<p>Too well.</p>
<p>How does he do it? How could he possibly keep on smiling and chatting like everything was fine and not going wrong before their very eyes? </p>
<p>"I hate this." </p>
<p>Riku didn't realize that those words had came out of his own mouth until Sora stopped and turned around with a "What?" </p>
<p>"I hate this!" he repeated louder this time. "Not knowing what's wrong with Kairi and feeling helpless to stop it. Everyday she grows weaker, and all we've done is act like a pair of delivery boys!" </p>
<p>"Hey, come on," Sora started, but Riku cut him off. </p>
<p>"'It's just a fever', he says. 'She'll be better in a few days', he says. Well, she hasn't gotten better, yet everyone still keeps acting like she has!"</p>
<p>"Riku..." </p>
<p>"What if Kairi only gets worse from here? What if...what if it slowly starts to drain her life?"</p>
<p>"Riku-"</p>
<p>"What if there's nothing that neither we nor the doctors could do about it? How could I possibly stand by and just let her slip away? How can I stand being <em>useless?</em></p>
<p><em>"RIKU!" </em>Sora grabbed Riku by the shoulders. It was probably the first time he got himself so worked up like that and he was immediately ashamed of it, while that same voice from earlier heckled him from the back of his mind. His spiraling train of thought was intercepted by his ocean blue eyes, still calm and inviting as ever. But he also found something else. He felt Sora's nails digging into his shoulders and even his hands shaking. </p>
<p>"Riku," Sora said again, this time with an edge to his voice, like he was holding back something. </p>
<p>Fear. Sora was holding back his fear. </p>
<p>"I know how you feel. Really. When I wake up, the first thing I think of is 'I wonder if Kairi has gotten better yet', and the answer is always the same. Sometimes I think that whatever I do to help is pointless, because I'm just some kid with zero medical skills."</p>
<p>He paused, swallowing before continuing in a low, cracked voice.</p>
<p>"I'm scared, too, Riku. The idea of losing her makes my heart ache. But all we can do is have faith in the doctor, and Kairi. You and I both know how strong she can be, so we can't give up on her. We can't." </p>
<p>Sora's head bowed after that last part, his unruly brown hair hiding his eyes. Riku looked overhead and stared towards the Midnight Forest in all its ominous notoriety. Squinting, he spotted what looked like a figure peeking through the trees, but dusk's shadow obscured what he could've seen. For all he knew it could've been a trick of the few remaining sunlight left, but he didn't want to hang around and find out. Not for now, at least. </p>
<p>"Come on, Sora," he prompted, taking Sora's hands. "It's getting dark. My mom can only wait for so long before she goes out to hunt for me herself." </p>
<p>Riku heard a sniffle before Sora straightened back up, back to his default smile. </p>
<p>"Okay then! See ya later, Riku! Same thing tomorrow, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Riku answered, already turning and waving goodbye. "Later." </p>
<p>Once they had parted ways, Riku took once last look at the forest, but only the dark evergreen trees stared at him back. Shaking his head, he headed back to his home, blocking out the relentless negative thoughts that threatened to dismiss Sora's words. </p>
<p>After earning a good long chiding from his mother, Riku was offered a plate of dinner, which he declined due to lack of an appetite and headed straight up to his room. Riku laid back on his bed, eyes glued to the ceiling. He hoped that eventually the lack of movement would lull him to sleep, but the fear and anxiety and self-loathing kept his mind wide awake. He squeezed his eyes shut and immediately opened them, horrified that the very first image to appear before his eyelids was Kairi. </p>
<p>Not the outgoing, sassy Kairi that he had grown up with and bonded very closely with. </p>
<p>It was the sickly, bedridden Kairi that was tearing him up inside. </p>
<p>He recalled Sora acknowledging his feelings as something he knew too, not that it helped him feel much better. If that was the case, how was he handling these nerves? Given how quickly he pulled himself together back outside, could it be possible that Sora was better at dealing with them than he was? </p>
<p><em>How weak,</em> said that voice again. <em>Since when were you the one who needed Sora's help? He could be telling you what you want to hear, for all you know.</em></p>
<p>Riku shot up, sickened that he could even think of such a thought. He opened the door his balcony and went out, hoping the fresh air could help clear his mind. Dusk's curtain was drawing to a close to leave room for the stars in the sky. The cool evening air was biting against his cheeks. It was deadly silent, not a sound to drown out his worries. Not a rustle of the trees. Or the chatter of night birds. Nothing. Maybe that's why people nicknamed it "The Reaper's Forest", as anything could go in, but practically nothing would get out. Urban legends that sprang from there ranged from coincidental to ludicrous, involving encounters with strange creatures and people entering, only to never return again. Because of that, most people were scared of or indifferent to Midnight Forest, but it had always made Riku even more curious. Whether or not any of those rumors were true, he didn't care. He just wanted to see it for himself. Who knows? Perhaps there is something lying within its depth that the townspeople have yet to discover, such as treasure or another civilization. </p>
<p>Or maybe a cure to an unknown illness. </p>
<p>It was a stretch, but Riku was more than willing to take a shot in the dark, as it never scared him at all. Riku rushed back into his room and dug into his wardrobe, searching for anything that would make good travel gear. Or at least, close to it, anyway. He pulled out a long red cape with a hood and concluded that it was good enough. For a map, he grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil. An explorer had to map out his findings, after all. Slipping on some hiking boots and pulling out an old basket, Riku tip-toed downstairs and slowly crept out the back door. Not too far away he could see Sora's house. </p>
<p>"Sorry, buddy," he muttered out loud. "I can't just stand by and let Kairi suffer like that." </p>
<p>And with that, he pulled the hood over his head and strode his way toward the forest. The hollow darkness of the forest seemed to beckon him, voices that he couldn't hear but knew were calling his name. He didn't know if it was the "supernatural" aspect or just some feeling, but what he did know was once he entered, there was no turning back until he found what he was looking for. </p>
<p>He turned his head to give one last look to his homely, comfortable town, then he took a deep breath and breathed out "Kairi", as if turning her name into a good luck charm. Taking large steps, he ventured into the darkness of the unknown.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It had to have been half an hour since Riku had stepped into "The Reaper's Forest", and so far, he was not impressed. So far all he'd had come across was trees, a few shrubs, rocks, trees, a puddle, a bunch of weeds, trees, an abandoned bird's nest, some ivy, a tree stump, and even more trees. Figures that all the supernatural horror was over-hyped, most likely a result of parents scaring kids from wandering here and rumor junkies stirring up speculations and exaggerations would blend together in a jumbled, gossipy mess. It amazed Riku that such a place could be surrounded by this much mystery and fear from the townspeople. Really, the only thing mysterious about it was the overhanging silence other than his boots across the ground. He didn't think about it too much, but the lack of sounds that would be normally found in a forest was quite unsettling, to say the least. It made him slightly wary, like someone or something could be watching from the shadows. He tried to focus on finding something, anything that could be of use to him before paranoia got to him. </p>
<p>He glanced at his map and studied the path that he'd had traced so far. Turns out cartography wasn't as easy as he'd thought it would be. Muttering a curse, Riku reached for his pencil when he suddenly walked face first into a rocky surface. Cursing even louder, he picked himself up to observe what he'd had ran into, finding out that he just found an opening to a large cave. Even from outside he could feel how chilly it was inside. It almost felt like a black hole ready to suck him in. After marking the cave on his map, he made the decision to give the cave a search. </p>
<p>"Hang in there, Kairi," he whispered, bracing himself as he tip-toed inside. </p>
<p>"Futile," a baritone voice echoed from the cave. </p>
<p>Riku jumped back when he saw a pair of amber eyes glowing from within the darkness. </p>
<p>"That girl cannot be treated with ordinary hands."</p>
<p>Riku's heart nearly stopped when he heard that. </p>
<p>"W-What do you mean? Are you saying she'll....die?" The word came out strained and feeble, and Riku felt sick to his stomach when he said it. </p>
<p>"Peace, boy," growled the voice. "I said that she couldn't be treated with <em>ordinary </em>hands. There is an antidote for her illness, but it requires certain...items."</p>
<p>"Tell me!"</p>
<p>Riku heard a rumble of laughter. </p>
<p>"Ah, youth. So eager, so impulsive. Jumping in without even the slightest idea of what they're getting themselves into. This quest is not for the faint of heart, you know. A child like you should be back in the safety and comfort of his house."</p>
<p>A <em>child? </em>Riku gritted his teeth at how this stranger was brushing him off. It sounded so dismissive, so <em>condescending. </em>It was the first time that anyone actually treated him like he was just another teenager, and it annoyed him to no end. Everyone in the town, even the adults, had always seen him as reliable and mature for someone his age, and he was going to prove that right now. </p>
<p>"You don't know a damn thing about me," he snapped, sticking his nose in the air. "If I'm the brainless little 'child' that you think I am, then how come I've come so far into this forest, which kids my age are piss-scared of? Mark my words, whatever task you have, I can take it."</p>
<p>For a moment, there was no response, then an even louder bark of laughter. </p>
<p>"Such confidence! Perhaps I have slightly underestimated you."</p>
<p>Riku snorted. "Slightly?"</p>
<p>"A bold one, aren't you? I'm sure you get along quite well with your elders."</p>
<p>"My elders respect me. Go ahead and ask any of them and they tell you how strong-willed I can be." </p>
<p>"Is that so, boy...? Very well, consider me persuaded. Come closer, and I shall tell you all you need to know to save your dear friend." </p>
<p>Finally, a lead. Riku approached the figure, who was quite bigger than he'd expected, and was wearing a hood as well, so he couldn't see anything other than his luminous, somewhat animalistic eyes. He leaned in as the stranger disclosed him the information, some of which made Riku's eyebrows raise. It was quite strange to say the least, and it involved hunting creatures whose names he'd never heard of before. But hunting wildlife was nothing new to him, as he was taken on such trips a couple of times. </p>
<p>"Well?" asked the stranger. "Still think you're up to the task?"</p>
<p>"Are you kidding?" Riku retorted. "If that's all it takes, then I'm in. I'll need something to hunt with though." </p>
<p>"That can be arranged." </p>
<p>As he said this, the man pulled a sharp, jagged knife from his cloak. Riku studied the blade and its teeth. He'd handled hunting knives before, and it was good to know that this one was not that different from the ones he was trained with. </p>
<p>"I will guide you throughout this land, boy," the man continued. "Keep up with me and you'll be fine." </p>
<p>"My name is Riku, sir," Riku said. "I'd rather you call me that than 'boy'." </p>
<p>"Very well," the man chuckled. "You may call me Ansem. Now come, we have many places to go, starting here."</p>
<p>"The cave? But I didn't bring a light source."</p>
<p>As he said that, the <em>whoosh </em>sound of a fire was heard, and Riku saw Ansem holding a torch. </p>
<p>"How-?" </p>
<p>Ansem grinned, the torchlight bringing attention to two points poking out from his lips. "Unlike you, I always leave fully prepared. In a world such as this, it is mandatory." </p>
<p>The man went into the cave, and Riku followed him. </p>
<p>"Be very quiet," Ansem advised. "Listen closely for footsteps and keep an eye out for any lights you see up ahead."</p>
<p>Riku wanted to ask why, but he figured that he shouldn't question after being told to be silent. Instead he pulled out his map and started sketching down their path. The cave was quite large than it had looked from the outside, and the ground was wet from water dripping from the ceiling. A wave of thrill rose up inside him, realizing that he was going to have so much to show and tell once he had came back home. No doubt he would get chewed out by his mother and maybe even his friends for pulling such an extreme stunt, but curing Kairi and bringing light to the Midnight Forest would at least make worth. </p>
<p>Suddenly Ansem held out an arm to stop Riku and pointed ahead, where Riku could see a small light floating in the distance, along with a scratching sound that sounded like claws as warned. As it drew closer, Riku could see a small green creature slowly walking towards them. It reminded Riku of a turtle but without the shell and had dirty yellow eyes. In one hand it held a lantern and a small kitchen knife in the other. Riku bit back a laugh when he noticed its size and speed, but then he glanced at Ansem, who appeared tense, and was making a strange throaty sound. </p>
<p>"Hold this," he growled, handing Riku the torch.</p>
<p>Just as Riku wondered why he would act so wary around a small, not-so-intimidating creature, the creature lunged forward at lightning fast speed, knife aimed at Ansem. It narrowly missed Ansem's arm as he dodged to the side. Riku heard something sharp being unsheathed, and saw a flash of silver as Ansem slashed at the creature with a snarl. To Riku's surprise, the creature didn't seem the least bit fazed by the hit, despite Ansem laying a barrage of heavy blows onto it before jumping away once the creature turned around. For a while they clashed and slashed at one another, neither one showing any sign of tiring down, before the creature managed to land a hit to Ansem's side. The howl of pain he let out was nothing Riku had ever heard from another man before. It sounded almost nonhuman and more like an injured animal.</p>
<p>The creature raised its knife again, ready to strike. By instinct, Riku brandished his own knife and rushed to Ansem's aid and stabbed down on the creature's head. Unexpectedly, the knife went right through its skull, and the creature slashed at him its knife around before shuddering and going still. It seems that Ansem was slowly weathering it down, after all. He yanked the knife out, nearly gagging at the odor and viscera that came out along with the blade. Sure, he'd had witnessed the hunters skin and butcher animals, but none of them had insides that looked like this, all green and translucent and...glowing. </p>
<p>"Cursed....tonberry," Ansem hissed. </p>
<p>Riku recognized that word as one of the things Ansem had listed. "This is a tonberry?"</p>
<p>"What were you expecting, a fruit bush?" </p>
<p>Riku did in fact expect something like that. He certainly never thought it would be a small but menacing turtle thing with a knife. </p>
<p>"That's quite the wound it gave you," Riku observed, eyeing the gash on Ansem's abdomen. </p>
<p>"Yes, but because it was distracted by me you were able to finish it off."</p>
<p>When Riku sensed the approval in Ansem's voice, the man added, "That was quite a fine killing blow." </p>
<p>Riku puffed out his chest in pride. "Still see me as just a child, Ansem?" </p>
<p>"Not anymore. No ordinary child has that speed and strength to penetrate a tonberry's skull. Even when weakened, they are quite tough....I've made a fine choice, picking you." </p>
<p>Now that was the sort of praise Riku was used to hearing. He held the tonberry by his feet like he would with other small game he would kill. </p>
<p>"So, what do we do with this now?" </p>
<p>"Hand it over." </p>
<p>When given the tonberry corpse, Ansem raised his weapon, which was a small hatchet, and chopped off the tonberry's tail and claws. He staggered up to his feet, holding his wound. </p>
<p>"Come now," he rasped. "We have what we needed from here."</p>
<p>"What about your injury?" Riku asked, wiping off his knife on the tonberry's cloak. </p>
<p>"I will tend to it later. I've been through worse." </p>
<p>Once the two had made it out of the cave, Riku noticed that the moon was now high above the trees, shining a harvest gold light onto them. Riku heard Ansem take a sharp inhale and raised his head to the sky, flexing his hands and basking in the moonlight. </p>
<p>"Ah," he breathed. "The harvest moon. A sight for this poor sinner's eyes. If only it could make as strong and healed as I feel..."</p>
<p>He sighed. "It seems that, unfortunately, we'll have to go our separate ways."</p>
<p>"What?" Riku cried, incredulous. "But how will I find my way through here?"</p>
<p>"Do not worry, for I have something else that will act as your guide." </p>
<p>Ansem held out his hand and a bat-like creature with black and blue fur materialized in his hands. Riku gasped as the bat spread its wings and flew around his head, squeaking noisily. </p>
<p>"This Komory knows exactly where to take you to get what we need left. Follow it." </p>
<p>"And you?" </p>
<p>"Do not worry over me. I already have a place where I recover myself and start on the brew. All you need to do is bring the rest of the ingredients back and allow me to continue from there." </p>
<p>"And once you're done, Kairi will be healed?" </p>
<p>"If all goes to plan, the girl will be on the road to recovery by the crack of dawn. You have my word." </p>
<p>Hope surged in Riku. "In that case, I'll be right back as fast as I can, and I'll be the damn best find you've ever had."</p>
<p>Ansem smirked. "As of now, I don't doubt that." </p>
<p>And with that, they left in opposite directions, Riku trailing behind the Komory as it flapped its way through the trees. </p>
<hr/>
<p>Riku had finally caught up with the Komory to see it perched on top of a branch, meaning that he had finally reached his destination. Sure enough, up ahead was an open field of large yellow birds sleeping. </p>
<p><em>So these must be chocobos,</em> he thought. From his basket he pulled out a Gysahl Green, a strange vegetable that the chocobos apparently liked. He knew that he needed it to lure a single chocobo away from the others, but the question was how. He crept towards the nearest one, freezing in place when he saw its eye crack open. Riku wished that could will his heart to stop pounding against his chest because he was sure the chocobo could hear it. When the Green caught its eye, the chocobo perked right up and fixated on Riku with wide eyes. </p>
<p>"You want this?" Riku whispered, waving the food in front its beak. </p>
<p><em>Kweh, </em>the bird chirped sleepily. </p>
<p>"If you keep quiet, I'll give you more. All the way over there." Riku pointed back behind him. "All the Greens you can have. All you gotta do is follow me, and be very quiet, 'kay?"</p>
<p>The chocobo nodded, putting Riku off for a moment, but as hoped, it followed him without a fuss, while the rest of the chocobos slept on, unaware that their little group would become one bird smaller tonight. Once he was sure they were far enough, Riku waved the Green in front of the eager chocobo and tossed it at a distance, watching it rush over to gobble up its last snack. Taking out his knife, Riku lunged at the chocobo and drove the knife into its neck. The poor bird shrieked and struggled about, but given the knife's shape, the more it tried to break free, the more it would only hurt itself. Riku pressed down with his weight as the chocobo's kicks grew weaker, and its anguished squawks became more choked with blood. Finally, the chocobo fell limp onto the ground, its legs still twitching. </p>
<p>Riku fell back, panting and gazing at his fresh kill. Up to this point, the only animals he would kill were small, being no larger than rabbits and geese. But here, he'd had killed an even bigger animal all on his own, without the assistance of traps or hounds or other hunters. It was all him, with nothing but a blade and a vegetable at hand. He couldn't wait to share this with Sora and Kairi.</p>
<p>Of course, he couldn't drag the whole thing with him. The only thing he could bring was inside the body itself. He stabbed the chocobo's chest and sliced a large opening. </p>
<p><em>Do it for Kairi. </em>He said silently as the smell of blood and innards permeated the air. </p>
<p><em>Do it for Kairi. </em>He repeated to ignore the nauseating, squishy sounds as he rummaged blindly with his hands.</p>
<p><em>Do it for Kairi. </em>He chanted to fare through his stomach threatening to lurch and heave.</p>
<p>
  <em>For Kairi. Kairi. Kairi!</em>
</p>
<p>His hand wrapped around what he was looking for, he took his knife, cut free and yanked out the chocobo's large, leaky heart. He tossed it into the basket and fell back for a moment, sweaty and shaky. He looked down and saw that his entire body was covered in blood. The scent of dead chocobo was going to stick with him and his ruined hood. He was going to enjoy his next shower once he finally goes back home.</p>
<p>He stood back up and gazed at his bizarre basket of ingredients. A couple of herbs, Greens, and the heart of a chocobo. Everything that Ansem sent him to retrieve had been gathered, and now Riku could at last head back to the town and cure Kairi. He let out a chuckle of relief, knowing this laborious night would be past him. He followed the Komory through the rest of the way, too excited to even bother mapping out his route. It was probably ruined by all the blood, anyway. </p>
<p>After what seemed like a couple of days, Riku was back in the town, and the sky was beginning to prepare for dawn's arrival. He was so overjoyed he turned to thank the Komory, but it appeared to have vanished from his sight. He decided to not give it too much mind and rushed to Kairi's house right away. Oddly enough, Riku noticed smoke rising from the chimney, along with the door being open before he even reached it. </p>
<p>That didn't seem right. </p>
<p>He pushed through the doorway and looked around, spotting a large crock pot boiling in the kitchen. Nearby was Kairi, laid on top of the dinner table. </p>
<p>"Kairi!" he gasped, rushing to her side. "Hey, Kairi! It's me, Riku! Open your eyes!" </p>
<p>Kairi didn't respond, as she appeared to be unconscious. But unlike the past few days, she didn't look pained. Even with the lack of lighting, Riku could tell that she looked even better than she had in the past few days. She looked like she was having a normal rest. </p>
<p>Suddenly, Riku felt the hairs on his neck stand on end, as if he felt an evil presence near-no, right beside him. His fear was confirmed when he heard a low growl behind him, along with something dripping on his head. Slowly he turned around and the first thing he saw was a blazing pair of amber eyes before he felt his throat being grabbed by a large hand. He was pulled close to the face of Ansem, who was no longer wearing his cloak, revealing his appearance. </p>
<p>If Riku didn't have a hand clutching his neck, he would've screamed when he saw Ansem. </p>
<p>He had a full, feral grin of sharp fangs, all bared for Riku to see, and saliva dripping from his lips. Protruding from his large mane of silver hair were two hairy, dog-like ears. His bare arms had more excess of hair than the average man, and Riku could see a tail wagging side to side from behind Ansem. Once Riku had absorbed this new information, letting it all settle in, it dawned on him what he'd had truly gotten himself into. Regret, shame, and fear washed over him when he realized that he had walking into the claws of a wolfman. </p>
<p>"Pardon me," Ansem growled, his voice even more beast-like. "It's been so long since I've feasted on a human. And your scent mixed with chocobo blood..."</p>
<p>The wolfman leaned in to take a large whiff, sending chills down Riku's spine. </p>
<p>
  <em>"...intoxicating." </em>
</p>
<p>Ansem's grip tightened around Riku's neck, closing in his windpipe even more. He let out a strangled cry and clawed at Ansem's arm. </p>
<p>"Be still, boy. I don't intend on killing you yet. But keeping you weak will make this easier for the both of us." </p>
<p>Riku's eyes darted to Kairi, who was still unresponsive. </p>
<p>"Ah, yes," Ansem hummed. "You must be wondering about the girl. As promised, she's recovering from her fever. I can't think of anything a simple Cure spell couldn't mend."</p>
<p>Riku's eyes widened. <em>Then what...</em></p>
<p>"What did I make you retrieve all those ingredients for? My supper, of course! Normally I'd only be eating chocobo and Viera, but tonight, I've made the lucky catch of not one, but two humans! Half pints you may be, but together you'll make a splendid full course!" </p>
<p>Riku felt tears come to his eyes, whether is was from him being slowly strangled or the overwhelming onslaught of information, he didn't know. All he knew was that his reckless attempt to take matters into his own hands only left him worse off than he already was. He failed. His vision started to black out, and he could feel his head and limbs growing more heavy. He was ready to give in, to succumb to the fate that he'd had brought upon himself. Seemed to be exactly what he deserved after willingly acting as some monster's tool.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sora...Kairi...I'm sorry...</em>
</p>
<p>"Yes," Ansem snarled with relish. "Give in, boy. Your meaty flesh will become the per-<em>AAARRRRRRRGH!" </em></p>
<p>Suddenly Ansem arched his back and roared in pain, dropping Riku. The shock of impact made Riku's head spin as he shriveled up, coughing and gasping for air. </p>
<p>"Get away from them, you monster!" shouted a voice. </p>
<p>Riku shot up, thinking he might've hallucinated it, but sure enough, standing above and facing the wolfman was Sora, brandishing a small bloody knife. </p>
<p>"S-Sora," Riku rasped, his voice not quite working. </p>
<p>"Whoever you are, get lost!" Sora barked, raising his knife. "Or else I'll give you another one!" </p>
<p>"Impudent little <em>BRAT!" </em>Ansem roared, lunging at Sora and grabbing him with both hands. "Since you want to act so courageous, I should eat you first! You have enough meat on your bones, so you'll suffice as an appetizer!" </p>
<p>Riku scrambled the floor to grab anything he could use to save Sora. With luck, he found his dagger, laying right beside his dropped basket. With a shout, Riku dashed at Ansem and stabbed him right in his calf. The beast roared and dropped Sora, doubling over and falling when Riku twisted the hilt to increase the damage. He let out a howl of pain when Riku pulled out. He raised his blade again, catching eye of Ansem's face contorting with fear and agony, before bringing down the blade into his neck. </p>
<p>The wolfman released a sound between a howl and a whine, like a severely injured dog. The noises cut through Riku's ears and heart, but like the other creatures he'd had killed, he held his own drove in the knife as far as he could, reducing the monster into a choking, convulsing mess.</p>
<p>With one last jerk, Ansem stopped howling. He stopped moving altogether. </p>
<p>Riku stepped back, bloody and breathless. Riku stared at the now dead body of Ansem, his amber eyes loosing their lupine glow, his mouth wide open and leaking blood. Not too long ago, this man was helping Riku, or least, that's what he wanted to believe. He was traveling alongside him. He <em>trusted </em>him. Only for the wolf to tear off his sheepskin and nearly eat Riku alive. Now he was, dead at Riku's feet, killed by his hands. </p>
<p>It was all to much. </p>
<p>Riku collapsed onto his knees, shaking uncontrollably. Heaving sobs escaped from his mouth, and tears poured down his cheeks. All the pent up emotion that he had kept behind a wall had flooded through like a broken dam. </p>
<p>"Riku," he heard Sora say. </p>
<p>He could feel Sora in front of him, but he shrank away, unable to look at him. How Sora could even be around him after seeing how he'd fucked up hard, Riku didn't know. What shocked him even more was Sora then sitting beside him and wrapping his arms around him. Riku stiffened underneath his touch, not knowing how to take this gesture. He let out both a sob and laugh. After putting his and Kairi's lives in danger Sora didn't treat him any different. He couldn't even find the words to form apologies or gratitude, only incoherent babbling. </p>
<p>"It's okay," Sora hushed. "We're gonna be fine. Whatever happened, we'll figure it out together."</p>
<p>"You betcha," said a small yet familiar voice. </p>
<p>The boys were overcome with surprise and unbridled joy when they saw that behind them stood a red-haired girl, looking small in her gown, but still had the smile of someone who was always in top shape. </p>
<p>"Do I even wanna know what happened here?" Kairi asked in that sassy tone that Riku had missed dearly. </p>
<p>Riku's eyes cast down to his tear-soaked, blood-caked body, his throat rough and sore from crying. He wasn't sure how to put it to her that he'd nearly got them both killed-all because of a selfish desire to be useful. </p>
<p>"It's alright, Riku," Kairi said. "I get it. Say no more. Let's get that dirty thing off you." </p>
<p>Unlatching the hood off Riku's back, Kairi huddled up close beside them. It amazed Riku how both chose to stick with him despite the gruesome state that he was in. He really, truly was lucky to have friends like Sora and Kairi. Even as tears continued to fall and his voice was wracked, Riku smiled. A wide, genuine smile that felt almost alien due to how long it had been since he last done it. They smile back and the three held each other in an embrace so tight it looked like they were locked together. </p>
<p>By the time sunrise peaked over the horizon and peaked into the town houses, the early steps of morning illuminated their exhausted yet content faces, bringing light to the darkness that were their past lonely, sleepless nights. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm really not good at writing bright and happy fics, am I?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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